A Good King
by Beatles-McLennon
Summary: When It's time for Caspian too stand as King when the Pevenises leave he is not ready. Struggling to become a great king Aslan sends him to the past to learn that being a great king isn't as important as being a good one.


Caspian stared at the spot where Lucy and Edmund once stood and gave a heavy sigh.

They were gone.

They were all gone.

For good, and it broke the young man's heart.

"Are you ready King Caspian?" Aslan stressed the 'King' and, if Lions smiled Caspian was sure Aslan would be smiling broadly at him.

Caspian sighed again and turned away from the Lion while shaking his head.

"I am no Great King, I doubt I will ever be" the 'not like Peter' went unsaid but Aslan heard it clearly.

Caspian didn't pity himself-no, not at all-In fact as far as the new king was concerned, he was just telling the truth.

"Aslan, what do I do?" He asked as if the whole world was weighing on his shoulders.

Maybe it was Caspian wasn't sure.

"Is that what you want to be?" Aslan asked.

"What?"

"A great king is that all you want be" Aslan explained further, it was as if he was explaining it to a child.

Caspian, still not looking at Aslan, narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Well…..yes" Caspian hesitated slightly.

The new King heard the untamed lion laugh.

Caspian bit his lip to stop himself from questioning Aslan more.

"You will learn, dear heart"

Caspian frowned and narrowed his eyes even more.

The doubtful king turned around, ready to speak sternly to the Lion but stopped when he saw his surroundings. Hundreds of people, frightening structures and loud sounds exploded Caspian's senses and he stumbled backwards. The young king pumped into a large man and the man angrily turned to Caspian and gave him a disgusted look.

"Watch where you're going boy" the man was wearing odd clothing and was older many books and paper.

Caspian watched as the old man walked away all the while shaking his head and cursing the young ruler.

Caspian washed his hand over his face and was surprised to feel no scratch of a beard or stubble but a smooth younger face.

He looked down and was even more surprised by the clothes he was wearing, they were odd and nothing like his usual array. Caspian checked for his sword and was not surprised (but deeply uneasy) when he felt it not there.

So Caspian ran.

He concluded that he was in a strange place, one nothing like his own, and had no way to get back to his home.

Aslan was the first thing that came to Caspian's mind.

Caspian ran until he was out of breath then he ran more.

He didn't stop running completely until he heard a loud laugh and a yelp of pain from one of the many things in the court yard (Caspian didn't know what they were at all but he thought they looked like little stables).

Caspian turned a corner and stopped when he saw three boys laughing and kicking something (someone?) That was lying in the middle of the human circle the three boys were making.

Upon further inspection Caspian could clearly see there was definitely another boy being knocked out.

The boy had blonde hair and such a familiar face.

"HEY!" Caspian yelled and ran to the three boys with his fists clenched in a mixture of anger and shock.

The three boys all looked at Caspian in shock.

They looked at the blonde boy then back at Caspian.

In Caspian's eyes the boys made the smartest choice because they ran.

"Are you alright?" Caspian asked the bloody young boy.

The blonde haired boy looked at Caspian in shock and interest as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Yes, I'm quite alright" He said cautiously.

"What is your name?" Asked Caspian, he needed to know if his suspicions were true.

The young boy observed Caspian with maturity.

Suddenly his shoulders slumped and something in his eyes changed.

"Peter" he replied with an easy grin. "Peter Pevenise"

Caspian smiled broadly.

He knew it! The high king of Old looked younger than the time Caspian had met him. His face looked softer, his eyes warmer.

"Pleasure" Caspian said and shook Peter's hand.

Caspian narrowed his eyes when he finally saw the bruising and blood on Peter's face.

"Why were they beating you?" Caspian asked.

"Where's your accent from?" Peter asked trying to change the subject.

Caspian looked at Peter with a dead expression.

Finally Peter sighed and rubbed his face with a pained expression.

"Got into a dreadful fight, guess I don't know when to give up" Peter laughed.

"Why didn't you give up?" Caspian asked.

"Why should I? "Peter replied.

Caspian looked at Peter silently.

This was the high king? He didn't look like him at all but the way he acted….Caspian could tell why Aslan foretold his future before he even swung a sword.

"You will be a great man someday" Caspian commented strongly surprising Peter a great deal.

"Why-a great man? I doubt that." Peter laughed and smiled. "I think I'd rather be a good one. I think that's better, don't you?"

"What?" Caspian questioned rather rudely.

"There are plenty of Great men that have been and that will come in this world. I don't want to be a great man; I want to be a good one." Peter smiled; his smile resembled that of an old King.

"I-well…yes I-that is much better, yes a good man. I like that"

Peter raised his eyebrow at Caspian before laughing and waving his hand.

"I best be off, I have a family waiting you know" Peter mock scolded.

'I know' Caspian thought warmly.

"What year might this be?" Caspian called when Peter started to walk (limp) away.

Peter gave him a strange look and starched his head.

"It's-God you are daft" Peter managed a nervous laugh. "It's 1940"

Caspian smiled genuinely at the young Peter Pevenise.

"I bet your going to have a splendid year" declared Caspian.

Peter gave Caspian a third strange look but his serious face broke out in a childish smile. He didn't say anything else. Peter just smiled and continued to walk away.

Caspian turned away and suddenly found himself surrounded by a great wave and whiteness.

"Aslan" Caspian greeted.

"My dear King, do you see?" The untamed lion asked.

"The high king, he-even when he was a child he never could back away from a fight" Caspian laughed freely. "He was a wise boy-though stubborn. His mood swings were not something that grew over time-they were always there"

"Caspian" Aslan warned.

"I want to be a good king" Caspian concluded firmly.

And that he was.


End file.
